Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer
ABSTRACT Background Statin drugs, frequently used to treat hyperlipidemia, are associated with improved survival outcomes in multiple solid tumor types, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preclinical studies suggest that manipulation of cholesterol with statins and other agents...
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Cancer Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70718 |
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| author | Tyler J. Kristoff Sean Evans Pranay Nayi Marin Abousaud Subir Goyal Yuan Liu Dong Shin Conor E. Steuer Nabil F. Saba Nicole C. Schmitt |
| author_facet | Tyler J. Kristoff Sean Evans Pranay Nayi Marin Abousaud Subir Goyal Yuan Liu Dong Shin Conor E. Steuer Nabil F. Saba Nicole C. Schmitt |
| author_sort | Tyler J. Kristoff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Background Statin drugs, frequently used to treat hyperlipidemia, are associated with improved survival outcomes in multiple solid tumor types, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preclinical studies suggest that manipulation of cholesterol with statins and other agents can enhance the function of multiple components involved in anti‐tumor immune responses. Retrospective studies in other solid tumor types suggest that statin therapy is associated with improved responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), but this has not yet been investigated in HNSCC. Methods Pharmacy records were searched for patients with recurrent/metastatic HNSCC treated at our institution with pembrolizumab or nivolumab from 2015 to 2022. Patients who received less than 3 doses of ICB were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between statin use and objective response, progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results A total of 158 patients were included. Statins were significantly associated with objective response; the strongest associations were seen with rosuvastatin and lovastatin. On multivariate analyses, statins were independently associated with objective response but not with PFS or OS. Conclusions Statin therapy appears to be an independent predictor of response to ICB in HNSCC. Larger, prospective studies are needed to determine whether specific statin drugs can improve survival outcomes in ICB‐treated patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-abe98a7b60bc4c9b9f46784acd1e402c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2045-7634 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancer Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-abe98a7b60bc4c9b9f46784acd1e402c2025-08-20T02:05:21ZengWileyCancer Medicine2045-76342025-03-01145n/an/a10.1002/cam4.70718Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck CancerTyler J. Kristoff0Sean Evans1Pranay Nayi2Marin Abousaud3Subir Goyal4Yuan Liu5Dong Shin6Conor E. Steuer7Nabil F. Saba8Nicole C. Schmitt9Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USADepartment of Hematology and Medical Oncology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USAChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta Atlanta Georgia USAAstellas Pharma Global Development Inc Northbrook Illinois USADepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University Atlanta Georgia USADepartment of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University Atlanta Georgia USADepartment of Hematology and Medical Oncology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USADepartment of Hematology and Medical Oncology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USADepartment of Hematology and Medical Oncology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USAWinship Cancer Institute, Emory University Atlanta Georgia USAABSTRACT Background Statin drugs, frequently used to treat hyperlipidemia, are associated with improved survival outcomes in multiple solid tumor types, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Preclinical studies suggest that manipulation of cholesterol with statins and other agents can enhance the function of multiple components involved in anti‐tumor immune responses. Retrospective studies in other solid tumor types suggest that statin therapy is associated with improved responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), but this has not yet been investigated in HNSCC. Methods Pharmacy records were searched for patients with recurrent/metastatic HNSCC treated at our institution with pembrolizumab or nivolumab from 2015 to 2022. Patients who received less than 3 doses of ICB were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between statin use and objective response, progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results A total of 158 patients were included. Statins were significantly associated with objective response; the strongest associations were seen with rosuvastatin and lovastatin. On multivariate analyses, statins were independently associated with objective response but not with PFS or OS. Conclusions Statin therapy appears to be an independent predictor of response to ICB in HNSCC. Larger, prospective studies are needed to determine whether specific statin drugs can improve survival outcomes in ICB‐treated patients.https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70718head and neck cancerimmune checkpoint blockadeimmunotherapyPD‐1PD‐L1squamous cell carcinoma |
| spellingShingle | Tyler J. Kristoff Sean Evans Pranay Nayi Marin Abousaud Subir Goyal Yuan Liu Dong Shin Conor E. Steuer Nabil F. Saba Nicole C. Schmitt Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Cancer Medicine head and neck cancer immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy PD‐1 PD‐L1 squamous cell carcinoma |
| title | Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer |
| title_full | Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer |
| title_fullStr | Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer |
| title_short | Statin Drugs Are Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer |
| title_sort | statin drugs are associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade in recurrent metastatic head and neck cancer |
| topic | head and neck cancer immune checkpoint blockade immunotherapy PD‐1 PD‐L1 squamous cell carcinoma |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70718 |
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